Mitchell County coach on being unranked: ‘We’ll just be the Grim Reaper’

Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Mitchell County coach Kaream Hess, whose team defeated then-No. 5 Clinch County 12-10 last week. Mitchell County had lost eight straight to Clinch County and hadn’t beaten the Panthers since 1955. The victory was Mitchell County’s first over a Top 10 team since 2019 (Pelham). Hess, formerly Montgomery County’s coach, was hired in the offseason. Hess has worked at Turner County, Lincoln University and Albany State. He is a former Tift County and Albany State running back in his 12th year of coaching.

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1. First win over Clinch County in 71 years. What does the victory mean to your team, and what does it say about your team?

“It means a lot to this team to finally get that monkey off our back. All these kids have heard is that Mitchell County has never beaten Clinch County, and I honestly don’t think many people believed we could go down there and beat them.

“I also have coaches on my staff who played against Clinch County when they lost a 19–20 playoff game, and that loss has stayed with them over the years. So this one meant a little extra to a lot of people in our program.

“It was a huge win for our players, our coaches and the entire Mitchell County community. More than anything, I think it showed what kind of team we have. Our guys believed in each other, stayed together and found a way to win a tough football game.”

Note: Clinch County beat Mitchell County 20-19 in the 2011 first round. Running backs coach Desmond Jones played on that Mitchell County team. Another assistant, Jesse Atkins, played on the one before it.

2. What was the game plan? It appears you did a great job holding down their All-State quarterback, Traviian Miller, and running game, while also preventing Kamarion Johnson, a 4-star wide receiver/defensive back committed to Florida, from making a big play.

“Our biggest focus was not allowing explosive plays. We knew their quarterback, No. 12, and No. 3 were all explosive players who could change the game at any moment. Our plan was to take those guys away as much as possible and make somebody else beat us.

“I believe we held them to around 73 yards passing and 60 yards rushing, which says a lot about how well our defense played. Our guys were disciplined and physical and did a great job executing the game plan. Our defense played a heck of a football game.”

Note: Clinch County scored its first touchdown to pull within 12-10 in the final minute and didn’t get the ball back.

3. Why did you take the Mitchell County job, and what do you feel is the most impactful change you and your staff have made to get the program where it is?

“I knew about Mitchell County and the history of this football program, so that was definitely attractive to me. It also gave me an opportunity to get closer to home. I’m from Tift County, so being here allows me to be closer to my family and friends.

“As far as changes, I really don’t like to speak about what was or wasn’t happening before I got here because I wasn’t here to see it. Mitchell County had been successful under Coach (Dondrial) Pinkins (now Jasper County’s coach), and they had a very talented senior class last season.

“I think one of the biggest things people are seeing now is that there were a lot of talented younger players waiting for their opportunity. Some of the guys making plays for us this season didn’t play much last year, and others were good young players who may not have received much attention because there was so much senior talent in front of them.

“What I can say about our staff is that we love on our kids. We listen to them, not only as football players but as young men. We try to build relationships with them, hold them accountable and let them know that we believe in them.”

Note: Mitchell County was 5-5 last season and 9-3 the season before.

4. How would you describe your team? What is its identity, and what does it do well?

“Smart, fast, and physical. That’s how I would describe this football team.

“It may not always show up when people just look at the scores, but we have a very good defense. Those guys play extremely hard. A lot of the points we have allowed this season have come late in games, from a misalignment, or after a turnover put our defense in a difficult situation.

“Our defense has also scored 26 points this season, so they’re not just stopping people. They’re creating plays that directly impact the game.

“I just hope people are starting to see that we have a really good football team. I’ve never seen a team sitting at 5–1 and still not ranked, but that’s something we really can’t control. Like I always tell our guys, the only people who have to believe are the ones inside our locker room.

“We’ll just be the Grim Reaper this season. Nobody has to see us coming until we get there.